House of the Dreaming

Methods, Health Information, Safety and articles of Instruction that benefit both donors and vampires with suggestions about how to interact with each other. This forum is available as a public resource, but only House of the Dreaming Forum participants with Crimson Circle access may post.

As social media permeates contemporary culture, it’s no surprise to find the vampire community developing innovative means of sustaining ourselves within this increasingly technology-driven landscape. All across the globe, we can now readily seek out others like ourselves as well as local donors without ever having to venture out of our homes. In fact, some have found that they can sustain themselves in large part using nothing more than online tools. For those reporting its successful application, cyber-feeding provides many obvious benefits despite some significant limitations, but where exactly do adventurous vampires on the prowl for their first cyber-exchange begin?

What is Cyber-Feeding? Psi-feeding in general works by forging a connection with a donor and drawing energy along that connection. The exact nature of that connection is up for debate and may well vary from one vampire to the next, some describing it as a fundamentally physical neurological process and others finding that more spiritual terms better approximate their experiences. Some psis’ connections, for example, may rely upon physical interactions that cannot be adequately approximated via online communication, but many find that the strength of a bond cultivated with a donor is independent of physical proximity. To determine if cyber-feeding is a possibility for you, I recommend giving it a try.

Benefits The benefits of being able to sustain oneself via online interactions are immediately evident. Being able to access donors regardless of distance

reduces travel expensesprovides a wider pool of potential donors that may otherwise reside outside one’s reachallows vampires and donors to schedule sessions together more quicklyincreases personal safety for vampires and donors by eliminating the risks associated with travel and meeting someone face-to-face

is useless for those seeking blood donationsincreases the possibility of unreliable information between vampire and donor

Either may present themselves as having traits the other is looking for in an exchange partner that they may not actually have and which cannot be verified easily except in person.

allows for the disruption of a poor Internet connection

Just as unexpected callers can interrupt an in-person exchange, internet connections are subject to occasional interference that can come at the least opportune times. While selecting a safe, private location for communion can minimize such risks for face-to-face exchanges, preventing internet disruptions presents many additional challenges. Investing in high-quality internet service and limiting exchange partners to those with comparable resources helps, but power outages and downed cables can unexpectedly sever online communications.

may be less satisfying for exchange partners than in-person feeding

Online connections may be less potent depending upon those aspects of a donor which tend to awaken and facilitate the Hunger of the drawing partner and the aspects of the drawing partner which spark in the donor a heightened openness to the exchange. Specifically, olfactory senses, the hint of salt in the taste of a partner’s skin, the feeling of a partner’s pulse quickening under a gentle caress, all of these things can arouse energy and expedite transition into the ideal state of mind for communion.

How-to Okay, on to the main event: how does one give this a try?

Locate a donor

This can be as simple as logging on to a social media site designed to facilitate brief online encounters or noticing someone in an online forum to which you both belong and discovering that you both have an interest in engaging in an exchange of this nature. Note: fully informed consent is non-negotiable at this and every subsequent stage of the process. If someone hasn’t told you they will donate for you, then they aren’t a donor, simple as that. Cyber-feeding can make it much easier to find a donor, but it doesn’t obligate anyone to participate or engage with you; don’t be a creep.

Schedule an exchange

Just as you would with any other exchange, choose a time that works for everyone involved. Depending on the situation, this may be immediately after locating your donor or it may take some planning, especially if you and your donor turn out to be a good pairing and want to exchange with each other regularly.

Assure with as much certainty as possible that your exchange will not be interrupted

This means the usual (i.e.: choosing a space for communion that is private and that any other household members know not to enter or disrupt with door-knocking, etc.) as well as doing what you can to minimize the risk of losing your internet connection (e.g.: if your computer is running on battery-power, consider plugging it in so that your session will not be cut-off by low-battery warnings; if your computer struggles with the high demands placed upon it by certain chat services like Skype, experiment with other video chats to see if your computer operates more efficiently with other programs; if video chatting in general is unreliable, give text-based chats a try).

Establish a connection with your donor

If you’ve logged into a site that automatically connects you to other random users and found someone interested in donating, then you’re well on your way with this step already. If you had to schedule ahead of time, this requires first setting up your equipment (i.e.: laptop, webcam, etc.) and initiating contact (e.g.: logging into Skype and calling/answering a call). Once you have the means you need to communicate with each other in place, proceed pretty much as you would if you were in person. Let your nature guide you as you synchronize with your exchange partner and draw from them.

Thank your donor and attend to any needs they may have as a result of the exchange

After-care is an essential part of exchange even in cyber-feeding. The process of donating can cause strong emotions to surface, temporary disorientation, and fatigue as well as the more pleasurable experiences associated with donating, so check in with your donor and stay with them until you’re both comfortable parting ways.

Closing Notes While the steps listed above are relatively formal, the process needn’t be implemented in a detached, regimented way. In fact, that could lessen potential donors’ interest, as their needs in the exchange may not be fulfilled if you’re overly cold. Many of us feed quite differently, drawing on different patterns or types of energy and finding different methods of draw more natural and effective, so go with the flow and make the process your own for best results.